VESSELS PASSING THROUGH SINGAPORE (Security measures against terrorist attacks)

Dr Amy Khor Lean Suan asked the Minister for Home Affairs (a) whether Singapore, as the world's largest container trans-shipment hub, is a prime target for acts of terror; and (b) what are the measures his Ministry is taking to enhance security and harden the area against terrorist attacks for vessels passing through the area.

The Senior Minister of State for Home Affairs (Assoc. Prof. Ho Peng Kee) (for the Minister for Home Affairs): Mr Speaker, Sir, Singapore has the world's busiest port. The Singapore Straits is also one of the world's busiest sealanes with about 140,000 vessels a year passing through it. It is Government's top priority to ensure that incidents similar to the suicide bombing of a French flagship, the Limburgh, off Yemen on 6th October last year do not happen here.

Sir, although newspaper reports have highlighted the likelihood of terrorists seizing a ship and crashing it into another vessel or into a refinery or port, there is currently no specific intelligence of such an attack in our ports and the sealanes around Singapore.

Singapore waters have been free of sea robberies inclusive of terrorism for the past 12 years as a result of relentless efforts put in by our security agencies. But we are conscious of evolving developments and are constantly looking for ways to protect ourselves against the terrorist threat. The Singapore Police Force, together with other relevant agencies, has audited and reviewed the security measures at our ports and other landing points. We have introduced enhanced security measures. These measures include ensuring security of our ports' perimeters, controlling access via security passes, checking of personnel, baggage and vehicles, closed-circuit monitoring of port facilities guards. These are landward security measures.

On the seaward side, the three lead agencies, ie, the Police Coast Guard, the Republic of Singapore Navy and the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore, work together and have introduced additional security measures to safeguard vessels in our waters. Sensitive areas such as the waters around petrochemical installations and the approaches to them used by tankers are declared out of bounds to all other traffic. The Navy has also been escorting certain high-value merchant vessels such as oil and gas tankers, large container vessels and cruise ships through the Singapore Straits. The Police Coast Guard (PCG) has increased its deployment by 30% since September 11. The PCG is also in the process of upgrading its surveillance capabilities and acquiring newer and better patrol boats.

Sir, Singapore was among the first few countries to sign up as a pilot port under the Container Security initiative to screen sea containers exported or trans-shipped to the US. As part of the initiative, US container security officers would be deployed in Singapore to work together with our enforcement officers to jointly target and prescreen containers bound for the US. In addition, Singapore will be deploying radiographic scanners at our ports from next month. The scanners will be used by our officers to boost their detecting capability for containers entering Singapore and help move containers in our ports in a more secure and expeditious fashion.